Tangled Red Thread
by Scorching Phoenix
Summary: Haruno Sakura couldn't grasp the idea that she out of all the others, is suddenly entrusted with saving Konoha. The ENTIRE village! Yet, why couldn't kami have chosen Ino? Or Hinata? Hardly motivated by said peers, she accepts her fate with a single grain of salt. But as history kicks back into reverse, serious consequences follow suit .-Slow updates, unknown parings, time travel..


Rays of sunshine cracked through the blinds in the Haruno complex. Over towards the right side of the room, reveals a bed laced with light sheets. Towards the right, there's an open closet, stacked with comforters and other heavy sheets like quilts and towels. In the middle is a positioned mirror. Descending downwards, a picture frame with four familiar faces seemed pasted over the photograph.

Naruto Uzumaki is over to the left, dressed in his orange and black attire, head band fastened over his forehead. To the right, appeared the imagery of Sai wearing his usual clothes. Up more further, was the copy cat nin known as Hatake Kakashi.

Amongst them all, remaining in the middle, a petite girl with pink hair.

This female, who watched her teammates suffer in any way possible...including losing the one she thought she loved.

"S-sasuke...kun.." she moans into the pillow.

Her heart thumps against her rib cage.

...Wondering most of all-

Why?

Quickly she turns in her sleep.

Murmuring something soft, "...Am I ever allowed.. happiness?"

Sakura stared up at the ceiling. Narrowing her green eyes, she turns away. Laying on her side, the pinkette pulls her self into a wounded prayer.

_Kami...  
_

_I would like an opportunity to change everything..._

_So that Naruto and Sasuke would have a family..  
_

_That way, we can all be happy.  
_

Tangled Red Thread  


I. Heat wave

Yawning lazily, a young rosette awakens from her earlier nightly slumber. Remaining still, the female's attire seemed rattled while her hair appeared tousled in many directions. Sakura lifts a spare hand, smoothing out the messy parts, touching them along the finger tips, parting the strands out in the most minimal way possible. Her mouth is still open, releasing an audible yawn just for kicks, not entirely sure if her body snapped out of the physical sleeping phase. Still sitting up at the viewable caption of her bed, green eyes scan across the room, attempting to bust any type of insects or rodents who decided to wander into her room to loiter.

"Morning Haruno-san...are you ready to stop playing and get to work?" mumbles the sleepy female.

Working...as in getting up to greet the sun, complete the grooming process.

Leave the house...work for Tsunade-shisou. Spare time for missions, friends, and family.

Same, old structure style. Same old life...

Signing deeply to her self, the sheets laced in mahogany slide off her torso.

Turning towards east, the kunoichi placed her feet on the surface, then pushed up, starting to casually walk around the house performing her daily routine.

_'Meh...it's getting so hot these past mornings.' _she mused, passing by a couple open windows.

Finished cleaning up her place, Sakura tugs on the front door. Turning around, the female sticks a key into the door, locking it so hardly an strangers could walk in. After hearing a soft click, she hops down the steps and cruises across a path, following it through many streets over to the hokage tower.

Within a few minutes into the familiar walking distance, droplets of sweat formulates in certain spots on the skin follicles of her arm. Apparently, this has happened each and ever day since the summer picked up. Peering up at the sky, said pinkette would scowl at the fiery ball of heat.

Quickly, the sun shot her an eerie glare. Looking away, the female pouted..

_'I wish for rain damn it! Rain, rain, rain!'_

**"It will come soon enough, that's if you choose to wait your turn for the rain cycle.'_  
_**

_'But I want it now!... bad enough that there isn't a fan in the office, and when the window is open-'  
_

**'Hot air comes in. I know, I know. Like I said girl, hold out until the clouds burst some drops. Okay?'_  
_**

_'Alright... I'll try to manage for a bit longer.'**  
**_

Sending the sky once last look, she adverts her orbs from the mighty star. Within a few minutes, both of them widen in surprise, then close after a cooling sensation chills its way into her curls up her body, blocking any more water balloons from impact.

Children giggle and toss their weapons downwards, allowing most of the ammo to gush on the side-walk.

With the coast being clear, she would return to her usual stance. "That's enough guys. Only felt cool for like a minute, that's all..."

"Aw, that's it?" whines a boy with spiky black hair. Closing his eyes, "We should have hit her with more water balloons.."

"No, no! Don't take it like that. I already liked them... you boys did a good job." reassured the pinkette. "Now do you mind that I go back to work Shirosuke?"

"Sure. we'll see you around." the ring leader mentioned, preparing to take off and play else where.

Together they run off to purse more younger male goals shrouded by innocence.

Leaving the female behind, she looks down, frowning at the stain coating her shirt. "That's strange...could have sworn that all this heat would have removed it by now."

Using her nails, she attempted to erase it.. till an audible voice of a woman boomed from an uncanny place.

"HARUNOOOO! Get up here immediately!" roars an unpleasant voice.

Bit distraught,_ 'Damn it...please don't tell me that she way all of it from up her window.'  
_

"Whatcha do this time pipsqueak?" questions a passerby.

Lifting her head, Sakura would gaze into the eyes of steel-blue ones. "Nothing Shinji. Why do you ask?" she questions meekly.

Standing a few feet away, a tall black-haired male signs, "Didn't sound like nothing. Godaime-san sounds pissed." he mentioned lazily.

"Meh. Don't remind me..." muttered the pinkette, starting to walk towards the door. "I'll go ask her what's the matter."

"Okay then. Good luck!"

Sakura's ears pick up on the farewell message sailing through the sky. Turning around, she would wave sadly to him, then resume walking along the path towards the tower. Pausing over by the door, her hands would raise and tug on the bars, pushing it into her chest.

Side stepping, her body slips in through the cracks, maneuvering aimlessly through the routes, ending up in the halls up to a specific room.

The kunoichi kept at it, pausing just a feet in front of the door. An essence of two chakras flared in the room._ 'Hm..did shisou call me up for a meeting or a coffee break?' _Venting a bit further, she leans in, peeking through the seeping light of a narrow key hole. An outline of two figures revealed their selves to her; standing in the middle of the room. Sakura carefully studied the lip movements between the two females, taking a few steps back when they randomly turned to face the door.

Lowering her self out of range, she reduced the amount of chakra flowing through her veins, hoping that they didn't figure out who she was.

Waiting within the shadows of the door, the conversation picked up once more.

"Tsunade-sama, what should we do? They are coming in two days."

"Don't you think I already know that by now?" hissed the fifth hokage. "Don't worry about it. I brought up the battle sequence to the council a few days ago."

Shizune moved out-of-place, grasps her mentor's hand, "What if that's not enough?" she questioned, barely picking up on movement over by the door.

Out of the blue, said hazel-eyed woman realizes something. "Do you hear_ that?_" the slug princess brought up, "I have a feeling that Sakura arrived just in time."

Beyond the door, a tiny gasp escapes from her lips. "I...I..." she stammered, moving backwards when the suddenly the door opens right in front of her. "Tsuande-sama.."

"Haruno-san, don't dwindle over by the door. You may come in." pipes up a voice from the inside.

Picking up her feet, the tilting door tugs away, and standing in its place stood a young pinkette with bright green eyes. Both her mentors could be seen casting a glance over to the new visitor.

Sakura slowly strolls across the floor board, "I'm so sorry about why I'm late. Just ran into a short problem."

"Forget about that. Hurry up and take a seat, we'll discuss something immediately." states her shisou, lifting a spare hand. "No point of keeping this hidden any longer."

Struck down by a hint of curiosity, her body slumps down into an empty the seat. "I'm all ears..." murmured the blossom.

Tsunade settles down behind the desk, "Are you aware of the short conversation that's been mentioned beforehand?"

"Why yes I am." she replies weakly, "Is Konoha really going ..." Sakura trailed, pausing for midway, "to be attacked on Wednesday?"

"I'm afraid it is true..." spoke the hokage. "For now, I want you to keep this a secret."

Moving backwards, "N-no! I cannot do that! What about our friends, the villagers...Naruto?"

"That's who they're after." Tsunade revealed, breaking the silence.

Sakura stares for a bit, "Are you serious?'" she questions, then breaks into a short fit of laughter. "Don't scare me like that. We dealt with them many times before."

"No, this is the exact part that you do not understand. However, I cannot explain the rest to you."

Blown away by the lack of information, the pinkette would just stand there.

As time passed, none of the previous conversation played through. Sakura would spend the last hours wandering around completing tasks supplied by the workers.

The goals usually ranged from picking up items and exchanging scrolls with other nins in the village.

Including a specific one.

x-X-x-X-x

"Umm...I'm looking for Jiraiya."

"Aw, aren't you just a little cutely." slurred a petty voice, reaching out to grab both cheeks, pulling on the skin. "Who ya looking for?"

Sakura growls, "You already know what I said..."

Taking a few steps forward, the man places his arms flat on her chest. "Naw, could you repeat that? Such a cute girl shouldn't be out walking alone by her se-"

Bit distraught, her knuckles grasping the male's shirt. "Enough of this! Tell me where he is now before I bust your ass!" Roars the female, lifting him up from the ground.

"OKAY, OKAY! HE'S OVER BY THE HOT SPRINGS!"

Allowing the response to sink in, she let's go of the man. "Pfft...how typical. Should have seen that coming." Sakura mumbles.

Crashing to the ground with a oofh, he lays there, as if ran over by a cart.

Eyes widened in fear, the very familiar stepping of the violent girl literally caused him to piss his pants!

Standing over the fallen villager with her hands over her hips, "You are so disgusting. The toilet was over there."

Neither an answer or a muffled cry answered the kunoichi. Signing deeply, she stalked off to uncharted territory on the other side of the village.

Pausing over by the entrance, a sweat drop spills out of the skin. One of the workers placed a sign over by the window, explaining the regulations to get into the female baths. _'I doubt if that old pervert even followed the rules...' _she muses, not so angry by the ruling._  
_

"Hehehehe...these ladies are smoking hot tonight."

The width of her ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. Running through Sakura wanders towards the back.

Over by the picket fence, a red wearing white-haired man peers through a hole. His shoulders bobbed up and down, including fumes of laughter.

Stepping over to him, "Oi, toad pervert. Do you mind by actually stopping all this staring so we could talk?" she asks, tapping Jiraiya's shoulder with her right index finger.

Feeling a sharp tap, the male hardly listened. "No way mini-Tsunade! Can't you see that I'm on a panty raid?"

Her green eyes narrowed at the reflected question, "They aren't wearing any panties..." she retorted briskly.

"Not to worry love. When they enter the locker rooms, I'm gonna scale the walls like a monkey and watch em even more."

Leaning over to the right, Sakura extends her arm, grasping the back of his shirt. "Honestly, it's like dealing with a child..." she huffs gruffly.

Jiraiya felt his body get tugged away from the fence, "Gaah! Oh gosh, this shit hurts! The hell has your mother been feeding you?" he questions, roughly dragged out from his hidden spot.

"Nothing really. Just fruits, vegetables, grains...even milk." listed the kunoichi. Walking a bit further, she pauses around the corner, spying a few female workers over by the door. "Shit!"

"Wherts dwong?" questions the sannin, face flat in the dirt.

"Nothing really... I just need you to transform yourself into a woman." Sakura reveals slowly, waiting for a response. _'3...2...1..'_

On cue, his body flips over like a pancake. Getting up, "Are you serious? I'm not gonna wear a br-"

"DO IT NOW!" she roars, barely angry at all.

Flinching from being yelled at, "Omg...okay, okay! I'll wear the ovaries."

Grumbling to him self, he raises both arms above his chest, completing the usual hand signs of some sort. Smoke explodes around the male, engulfing him completely. Sakura waits impatiently for all the flashy movements to dismiss. Once the fumes vanished, a fairly old lady wearing an old kimono with red faint past stood before her.

The most unsure expression coated the depths of said wrinkling face, as if literally the storm clouds that were suppose to appear above Konoha's atmosphere just dropped down, hovering above her senior body instead. From a few feet away, the opposite girl who put 'Madam Jiraya' up to this, kept glancing at this transformed human being. Before long, the kunoichi held back on a giggle, busting out laughing many times at such an odd sight.

"Shut up." snarls the old woman. "At least I don't alter my appearance like Tsunade."

Laughing a bit, Sakura tugs on her arm. "Come on baa-chan, we're gonna take you-" Insert extra laughter here, "Home!"

Bit offended, "Oh please. I'm going to walk by my damn self." snarls the _'old lady._ Stealing back her arm, she then walks a bit forward, "You coming or not?"

Remaining still, said rosette's eye lashes batted many times. Sakura still tried her best to register what's going on, which the kunoichi did, dismissing it as if nothing was wrong. Picking up her feet, she pumped her clenched palms, moving them in sync with the running pattern, sweeping past the fences and over towards the front of the bath house. Baa-chan seemed to have then she thought, only to make a pit stop after noticing a couple hot girls wander by.

Bending the frail knees closer towards the door, she starts to jump like a hypersensitive rabbit.

Foaming at the mouth, "Holy fuck-"

Sakura charges into action, "Bad grandma, bad!"

Getting pushed back, "Hey squirt...watch what you're doing!" roars the senior, fixing his clothes. "Almost wrecked my kimono."

"Keep moving or else I'll knock those rotting teeth out of your mouth." replied his grand-daughter, ever so sweetly. "Do you understand?"

Baa-chan nodded her head slowly, "Mmhm..." he/she said in a sweet gentle tone. "Let's go get up some pu-DING!"

The group of teenagers watched surprisingly as the kunoichi continues to jab her across the perimeter and out through the gates.

Once they vanished out of sight, said women went back to their daily lives of chatter and boy talk...

X-x-x-x-x-x-xX

Over in a secluded area away from everyone else, Jiraiya had already dispelled the Orokie no jutsu.

A figure seems to be talking to him, suddenly pausing once statements were addressed, forming her lips into a thin line.

He leans backwards into a tree, "Are you serious? We are not going to lose this area."

"Haven't you been talking about this to shisou? There's a war is shaping in two days!" she exclaims hysterically.

Losing his cool he leans down, "Hey, hey! Not so loud!" replies the distraught toad sanin. "Don't want the villagers in a panic because of this."

"Of course there will be a panic since there's always hundreds of lives at stake."

"Well then, if you're so worried about the village's safety then why didn't you join the forces before hand?"

That struck her the most. Adverting her gaze, "You don't understand. I'm supposedly needed."

"You are actually needed? I'm sure Tsunade was just bluffing. We have enough chunins and other ranks, so don't feel so special."

Bit pissed, "Fine. Don't come crying to me when the village looses and there's no way to-"

"Sakura! That's enough!" roars a heavy voice.

Adverting her gaze, "S-shisou...weren't you out on errands today?"

"Nope, sent Shizune out to complete those tedious tasks." replied the woman, wandering closer over to the two. "I had a feeling that you were going to gossip about this."

A coating of red made its way along the cheek barrier, "Not really...just left out the major details." the pinkette squeaked.

"Either way I wasn't suppose to tell you. Or the next person needed for the deed."

Staring in shock, "W-what do you mean?" questions the girl. She looks away and bits on her lower lip._ 'Please tell me that he or she isn't my friend...'_

"We won't start until tomorrow. Since that day is gonna be Tuesday, might as well prepare a day before."

"I understand. Just leave everything to me." Jiraiya assured.

In under a few minutes, they continue to exchange details about the upcoming attack.

At first, Sakura assumed to know of what they were talking about, only to get struck down by an unknown sleeping jutsu.

Her mentor and other allies watched casually when the girl's body slowly tilts and falls over. Eyes lids heavy, emerald eyes narrowed, Sakura's mouth slowly shaped into a frown line, barely omitting the confusion which has fallen upon her mind. Time relapses, barely giving her enough time to support her self from the fall.

Reaming above the patch of grass, a looming shadow hovers above her.

Jiraya stares down at said kunoichi. "Are you sure that Sakura is the one?" he questions gently.

"Of course she is. The girl is my apprentice after all."

**-Dream scape-**

I watched them for a few seconds, barely able to stabilize my vision.

Why were they staring at me?

Wait...I'm losing...the battle to stat awake.

Sleep over comes me... wraps me deeply within the velvet molds of a cocoon. The feeling of my body tumbling along invisible blades of grass over comes me. Curious by the plight, I find my self trapped in the ecstasy of darkness. Floating, floating...out in nowhere?

Drip, drip, drip...

My ears pick up on spare droplets of water.

'Where am I exactly?'

_**"You should very much question where you are..."**_ growls a rusty voice.

Sakura jolts upright, "W-what are you doing in my mind?" she questions, apparently speaking to nothing. "Who are you?"

Twisting her head from right to left, she attempts to visualize whoever the conversationalist is.

However, it was nowhere in range.

Except the voice of another..

**"Nothing unusual. Just..feeling around for my brand new-"**

Before it could continue, something terrible happens out on the outside...**  
**

=X0x0x0x-x-x-xX0x0x0x0x=

**A/N: Hello everyone. This is Scorching Phoenix. Welp, seems like our little heroine is gonna be part of something big! What could it be? I'm so anxious and excited with dwelling in this type of theme. To make it stand out from others, I'm thinking about building up on the time travel part besides releasing the idea all in one go.**

**9/20/12: Soooo, this is an updated chapter. I love you spell checker! xD**

**06/06/13: Spotted a tiny amount of errors.. T_T**


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